Vampire Weekend: A Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood
"A love letter to the power of music, this thoughtful, humorous exploration of what constitutes living versus mere survival sees Chen (Light Years from Home) at the top of his game." --Publishers Weekly starred review
"A strong emotional core carries Chen's (Light Years from Home, 2022) latest, which is ultimately about healing from old wounds and learning how to embrace life again after loss--even if you're dead." --Booklist
Being a vampire is far from glamorous...but it can be pretty punk rock.
Everything you've heard about vampires is a lie. They can't fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it's also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.
At least she's gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her...situation under wraps), maybe she'll finally feel like she belongs, too.
Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it's Ian's love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.
But as Ian uncovers Louise's true identity, things get dangerous--especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family...one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.
"A love letter to the power of music, this thoughtful, humorous exploration of what constitutes living versus mere survival sees Chen (Light Years from Home) at the top of his game." --Publishers Weekly starred review
"A strong emotional core carries Chen's (Light Years from Home, 2022) latest, which is ultimately about healing from old wounds and learning how to embrace life again after loss--even if you're dead." --Booklist
Being a vampire is far from glamorous...but it can be pretty punk rock.
Everything you've heard about vampires is a lie. They can't fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it's also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.
At least she's gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her...situation under wraps), maybe she'll finally feel like she belongs, too.
Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it's Ian's love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.
But as Ian uncovers Louise's true identity, things get dangerous--especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family...one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Vampire Weekend took me by surprise, capturing the vibes I love from vampires while also allowing for some depth and the struggle of connectivity that comes with immortality.
Punk Rock
I love Louise. Being Asian-American, when she was young and mortal, she struggled to live up to her parents’ expectations, losing herself to punk rock music but keeping it hidden from her parents. Just think of Kim from Gilmore Girls.
But her struggle for connection was compounded when she became immortal. How can she form connections with people, knowing they will die while she lives on.
Her punk rock attitude allows her to crawl within herself, keeping herself detached from the human community and the vampire community. The vampire she thinks is responsible for the death of her friend, the person she revealed the truth to.
For Louise, the loss of family due to age and the loss of a friend forced her to close herself off. But when the past comes barging in, Louise has to relearn to open up her home and heart. It is a struggle for her, one that she fights with throughout the novel. Immortality is a lonely and heartbreaking thing, to love and watch those you love pass away. But living alone, surviving, is not really living. Louise has spent so much time moving from one day to another without living.
But all of that changes.
Watching her develop and grow, watching her break the rules for family, is simply heartwarming.
But Chen doesn’t just offer a thoughtful view on immortality. There is also so much humor trickled throughout the story. Her interactions with Eric were fantastic. Eric isn’t so much ha-ha funny, but his stoicism and the way Louise’s mind just doesn’t stop spinning allows her internal dialogue to bring in a laugh.
Then there is Serena. Serena is the cool chick with an attitude that warrants a smile. She’s a minor character, but she steals the show in the few scenes she is in.
Final Thoughts
Vampire Weekend is fantastic. I loved Being Human, the US series, and this novel captured what I loved about it while presenting a cohesive and unique story about forming connections and truly living and being punk rock.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Perfect for fans of Being Human, Vampire Weekend gives vampires a punk rock edge.
Vampire Weekend took me by surprise, capturing the vibes I love from vampires while also allowing for some depth and the struggle of connectivity that comes with immortality.
Punk Rock
I love Louise. Being Asian-American, when she was young and mortal, she struggled to live up to her parents’ expectations, losing herself to punk rock music but keeping it hidden from her parents. Just think of Kim from Gilmore Girls.
But her struggle for connection was compounded when she became immortal. How can she form connections with people, knowing they will die while she lives on.
Her punk rock attitude allows her to crawl within herself, keeping herself detached from the human community and the vampire community. The vampire she thinks is responsible for the death of her friend, the person she revealed the truth to.
For Louise, the loss of family due to age and the loss of a friend forced her to close herself off. But when the past comes barging in, Louise has to relearn to open up her home and heart. It is a struggle for her, one that she fights with throughout the novel. Immortality is a lonely and heartbreaking thing, to love and watch those you love pass away. But living alone, surviving, is not really living. Louise has spent so much time moving from one day to another without living.
But all of that changes.
Watching her develop and grow, watching her break the rules for family, is simply heartwarming.
But Chen doesn’t just offer a thoughtful view on immortality. There is also so much humor trickled throughout the story. Her interactions with Eric were fantastic. Eric isn’t so much ha-ha funny, but his stoicism and the way Louise’s mind just doesn’t stop spinning allows her internal dialogue to bring in a laugh.
Then there is Serena. Serena is the cool chick with an attitude that warrants a smile. She’s a minor character, but she steals the show in the few scenes she is in.
Final Thoughts
Vampire Weekend is fantastic. I loved Being Human, the US series, and this novel captured what I loved about it while presenting a cohesive and unique story about forming connections and truly living and being punk rock.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Being a vampire isn’t nearly as cool as the stories make it seem. There’s no turning into bats. No super strength or speed. An murder is strictly out of the question. No, since Louise was turned decades ago her life hasn’t changed all that much, save for becoming nocturnal. And immortal.
The problem with being immortal and nocturnal is that you get isolated from the rest of the world. After the death of her aunt - the only family she remained in contact with - and her last best friend, Louise has fallen into a depressive routine of isolation. Wake up, go to work, steal from the blood bank, rinse, repeat. Until some of her long lost family shows up on her doorstep.
Ian is 16 and just lost his father, and now his mother is in the hospital with cancer. So he’s going through it. And like many kids who are going through it, he’s drawn to punk rock. Maybe because she’s lonely, maybe because he reminds her of her younger self, Louise starts to befriend him. Over the course of a weekend the pair start to bond. Ian’s clever, though, and when he starts to figure out Louise’s secret it could spell danger, or revolution.
I would hazard to call this novel a cozy horror. A heartwarming story about how everyone needs connection and community, and how we can often find that in unexpected places. About reconnecting with lost family and making up for past mistakes. And of course, being the most punk rock vampire you can be.
Also all vampires are asexual, which I am very into.
The problem with being immortal and nocturnal is that you get isolated from the rest of the world. After the death of her aunt - the only family she remained in contact with - and her last best friend, Louise has fallen into a depressive routine of isolation. Wake up, go to work, steal from the blood bank, rinse, repeat. Until some of her long lost family shows up on her doorstep.
Ian is 16 and just lost his father, and now his mother is in the hospital with cancer. So he’s going through it. And like many kids who are going through it, he’s drawn to punk rock. Maybe because she’s lonely, maybe because he reminds her of her younger self, Louise starts to befriend him. Over the course of a weekend the pair start to bond. Ian’s clever, though, and when he starts to figure out Louise’s secret it could spell danger, or revolution.
I would hazard to call this novel a cozy horror. A heartwarming story about how everyone needs connection and community, and how we can often find that in unexpected places. About reconnecting with lost family and making up for past mistakes. And of course, being the most punk rock vampire you can be.
Also all vampires are asexual, which I am very into.
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